THIS PROPOSAL PRESENTS A RESEARCH PLAN FOR THE MEASUREMENT OF SURFACE FIGURE OF X-RAY OPTICAL COMPONENTS ON AN IN-PROCESS BASIS. THIS MEASUREMENT IS USEFUL DURING THE FABRICATION OF X-RAY OPTICAL COMPONENTS, ESPECIALLY SINCE THE PROPOSED MEASUREMENT IS NON-CONTACTING AND CAN MEASURE ALOW REFLECTANCE, OR UNCOATED SURFACE. THE LACK OF PRECISE SURFACE FIGURE CAN EFFECT THE PERFONNANCE OF X-RAY OPTICAL COMPONENTS. ALSO THE TIME IN REMOVING THE OPTIC AND THEN PERFORMING THE TEST CAN ADD SUBSTANTIALLY TO THE FABRICATIONEFFORT. THE PROPOSED RESEARCH PROGRAM IN PHASE I IS TO DEVELOP A TECHNIQUE FOR THE MEASUREMENT OF SURFACE FIGURE ONX-RAY OPTICAL COMPONENTS USING NON-CONTACT OPTICAL SCANNING INTERFEROMETRY IN THE POLISHING CYCLE. THE EFFECTS OF THE SIGNAL TO NOISE RATIO, FOCUSING ERRORS AND FIBRATION EFFECTSWILL BE STUDIED FOR A STATIONARY OPTIC LOCATED ON A POLISHING MACHINE. THE ANTICIPATED RESULT OF THE PHASE I RESEARCH WILL BE THE CHARACTERIZATION OF AN OPTICAL COMPONENT UNDER CONDITIONS SIMILAR TO THE OPTICAL SHOP. THEIMPLICATION OF THIS RESEARCH IS THE POTENTIAL FOR A RAPID NON-CONTACTING MEASUREMENT TECHNIQUE OF SURFACE FIGURE OF A FINISHED X-RAY MIRROR OR UNCOATED X-RAY MIRROR SUBSTRATE. THE POTENTIAL APPLICATION OF THIS RESEARCH IS THE DEVELOPMENT OF NEW MEASUREMENT TECHNIQUES AND TEST EQUIPMENTFOR THE X-RAY OPTICAL FABRICOTION INDUSTRY. THESE NEW MEASUREMENT TECHNIQUES AND TEST EQUIPMENT WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF X-RAY OPTICAL COMPONENTS.